Butler coach Thad Matta has finalized his coaching staff for the 2022-23 season with the additions of Mike Pegues and Kevin Kuwik, while retaining David Ragland. All three will serve as assistant coaches.
“When I set out to build a staff, I had a lot of boxes that I wanted to check,” said Matta, who returned to Butler as head coach earlier this month. “I was looking for strong all-around coaches with a focus on player development, recruiting ties and the ability to build relationships with our team. All three have familiarity with Butler or the BIG EAST, and each value winning the right way. I’m excited to have Mike, Kevin and David, along with their families, as part of our program.”
Mike Pegues (View Pegues’s Full Bio)
Pegues most recently served as the interim head coach at Louisville. In all, Pegues (pronounced puh-GEESE) spent four seasons at Louisville, following Chris Mack from Xavier.
“Mike has recruited and developed players at an extremely high level,” said Matta. “This past season under difficult circumstances, Mike embraced his leadership role at Louisville and that experience will be beneficial for both he and Butler. He has played a key role in winning programs at multiple stops and will have an immediate impact here at Butler.”
The Cardinals posted a record of 70-47 in his four seasons at Louisville. Pegues helped the Cardinals build a 2021 recruiting class that ranked 17th in the nation by 247Sports.com, 19th by Rivals.com and 20th by Sports Illustrated. His efforts aided Louisville in assembling an impressive six-man 2019 signing class that ranked ninth in the nation by ESPN.com, 10th by Rivals.com and 11th by 247sports.com.
During Pegues’s six seasons at Xavier (2012-18), the Musketeers produced a 142-67 record (.679) and advanced to the NCAA Tournament on five occasions, reaching an Elite Eight and Sweet 16. Xavier’s 2017-18 squad achieved a 29-6 record, won Xavier’s first BIG EAST Conference regular season championship, earned the school’s first-ever No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and finished third in the final Associated Press poll. Pegues contributed significantly to Xavier gathering multiple nationally-ranked recruiting classes, including three straight top 20 ranked classes in his final three years there.
Kevin Kuwik (View Kuwik’s Full Bio)
Kuwik returns to Indianapolis after serving on the Davidson staff for the past five seasons. His impressive résumé includes both stints working alongside Matta for two seasons at Ohio State and serving under Brad Stevens at Butler for a single season. Kuwik brings more than 20 seasons of coaching experience with him.
“Kevin was the first call I made when I started to build my staff,” said Matta. “Kevin knows the game and is exceptional at building relationships, two of the most important qualities in a great coach. He is extremely organized and brings a work ethic that is second to none. I’m excited to work with him again, and I know Kevin and his family are excited to be at Butler.”
Kuwik helped Davidson to a record of 101-52 in his five seasons on the Wildcats’ staff, earning NCAA Tournament berths in 2018 and 2022, while making NIT appearances in 2019 and 2021. Davidson posted an impressive mark of 59-24 in Atlantic 10 play during his time at Davidson.
Before joining Bob McKillop’s Davidson staff, Kuwik spent six seasons at Dayton. While in Dayton, Kuwik helped the Flyers to a 139-65 overall record, 68-31 conference mark and five postseason appearances (four NCAA Tournaments and one NIT), including a trip to the NCAA Elite Eight in 2014.
David Ragland (View Ragland’s Full Bio)
Ragland will remain in the assistant coach position that he held at Butler during the 2021-22 season, which was his first season on the sidelines for the Bulldogs.
Ragland initially joined LaVall Jordan’s Butler staff as an assistant coach in April of 2021.
“David has been successful at a number of programs throughout his career,” said Matta. “He has great relationships with our current roster and has a working knowledge of the teams in the BIG EAST. David brings tremendous energy each and every day, and that will continue to be a huge benefit to Butler and our program.”
Ragland, who helped Utah State to a record of 74-24 over the three seasons prior to joining the Butler staff, arrived in Indianapolis with nearly two decades of experience, including previous assistant coaching stops at Valparaiso, Northern Kentucky, Bowling Green, Indiana State, and Frank Phillips College, as well as his time at Utah State. Ragland also spent two seasons as the head coach at Vincennes University.
Utah State posted at least 20 wins in each of Ragland’s three seasons with the program. The Aggies made a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances and had earned a spot in the 2020 field as well before the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the remainder of the season. Utah State made three consecutive appearances in the Mountain West Tournament championship game, winning the title in both 2019 and 2020. The Aggies posted a 42-13 record in Mountain West games during his time in Logan.
